Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau 1555 California Street #300 Denver, CO 80202-4264 (303) 892-1112 (303) 892-1636 (fax) Population 467610 Time Zone Mountain Latitude/Longitude 39.72° /-104.96° Today's Forecast HIGH: 86 LOW: 58

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Attractions

Lying at the heart of Denver's government and culture district, Civic Center Park is a popular gathering place for festivals, celebrations and memorial events. The State Capitol, on the park's eastern flank, makes a natural starting point for a tour of the city. Modeled after the U.S. Capitol building, it is known for its brilliant dome covered in 200 ounces of gold leaf. A climb to the top of the rotunda rewards those braving the 93 steps with an expansive view of the Front Range from Wyoming in the north to Pikes Peak in the south.

Just a block away, the Colorado History Museum presents major exhibits on Native Americans, women's roles in the settling of the West, and dioramas of Western landscapes and historic activities. Across the street, the Denver Public Library houses 47 miles of bookshelves in an exuberantly post-modern building. The nearby Denver Art Museum offers more bold architecture with its Hamilton Building. The addition, which opened in 2006, increased the museum's gallery space by some 40 percent, and its rooftop sculpture garden has more of those awe-inspiring mountain views. Lying northwest of the art museum, the U.S. Mint turns out billions of coins every year. Visitors can watch huge machines turn slugs into brilliant, flashing coins that are then carried off on conveyor belts to waiting sacks and trays.

The Denver Zoo, located in City Park, entertains with its Primate Panorama, a world-class facility that houses 29 primate species from tiny squirrel monkeys to giant gorillas, and its Tropical Discovery, a state-of-the-art indoor rain forest. Continue your journey through the natural world at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, also found in City Park, or among the 23 acres of cultivated blooms found at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Visitors to the "Mile High City" who want a glimpse of what the Old West was really like can spend an enjoyable afternoon in the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center. As many as one-third of all cowboys on the great cattle drives were African Americans, and collector Paul Stewart spent a lifetime finding and preserving their photographs and artifacts. Several area museums are dedicated to trains, planes, and automobiles. Wings Over the Rockies has a broad range of historic flying machines, from World War I replicas to modern jet fighters, displayed in the huge Hangar Number 1 at the former Lowry Air Force Base. Forney Museum of Transportation, close to the downtown area, features classic automobiles and massive railroad engines. In the neighboring town of Golden, the Colorado Railroad Museum has locomotives, railcars, and other memorabilia from Colorado's rich railroading past.

Culture mavens should note that downtown Denver is the home of perhaps the world's largest performing arts center. The Denver Performing Arts Complex encompasses Boettcher Concert Hall (the nation's first in-the-round symphony hall), the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, the Temple Hoyne Buell Theater (a 2,800-seat Broadway-style venue), and numerous other stages at its four-block site.

Denver also has more than a full complement of professional sports teams, including Denver Broncos football, Colorado Rapids soccer, and Denver Outlaws lacrosse, all played outdoors at Invesco Field, Denver Nuggets basketball, Colorado Avalanche hockey, Colorado Crush arena football, and Colorado Mammoth lacrosse, played indoors at the Pepsi Center, and Colorado Rockies baseball, still played at Coors Field. For western-style spectator sports, drop in on the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo held every year at the Denver Coliseum.

Shopping in Denver is excellent. The 16th Street Mall is a mile-long pedestrian promenade through the heart of downtown; it's lined with shops, department stores, and outdoor cafes. Free buses provide frequent transportation along the mall. Larimer Square is a restored section of Denver's oldest street where beautiful Victorian buildings house a collection of art galleries, clothing stores, restaurants, cafes, and nightclubs. The neighboring LoDo district is popular for its informal shopping and multiple entertainment options.

For thrill rides set amidst lakes, gardens and lagoons, go to Elitch Gardens, the only amusement park in the nation situated in a downtown area. The park features breathtaking, state-of-the-art roller coasters, as well as Island Kingdom, a 10-acre water park. More watery thrills can be had at Water World, found in Federal Heights neighborhood, and at Lakeside Amusement Park on the city's west side.

Enjoying the outdoors is an integral part of life for many Denverites. Within a 90-minute drive, there are ample opportunities for skiing, river-running, hiking, fishing, camping, horseback riding, sailing, and mountain biking. Closer to the city, try a guided tour of the huge Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, where bald eagles can be seen nesting from December to mid-March. Or, at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, walk through a flurry of 1,000 free-flying butterflies as other crawling critters from around the world prowl the ground.

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